RECRUITER FINDING BUSINESSES FOR CHAMBER

Philip Crombie is combining the two things he loves to do the most -- meeting people and building model ships.

He recently started a part-time job working on membership development for the chamber of commerce.

"It's the first time we've had a commission-paid recruiter for new members," said Dexter Burnham, executive director of the chamber of commerce. "It's a trend by many chambers."

After he retired, Crombie's only plan was to start a model ship building business. But he thought being in a workshop for hours on end might be too confining. So when the opportunity came along, Crombie seized the moment.

Burnham said that while the chamber has a membership committee, the members are volunteers and don't have a lot of spare time to devote to attracting new businesses.

"We just need a constant person in the field," he said. He added that the chamber's board of directors had given him permission to hire someone two years ago.

Burnham said he had approached about three people to do the job, but they declined.

"He's the type that likes people and that likes to roam around in his own community," he said. "He fits the bill to a tee. He's very well- known."

Crombie, 60, retired in January from Southern New England Telecommunications after 38 years during which he held various managerial positions. He was also the town's fire chief for 23 years and retired from that job in 1986.

"I discovered as I drove around that there were all sorts of businesses here that I had never seen before and that I didn't know anything about," he said.

Crombie said he is enjoying finding out about new companies.

"I've been absolutely amazed at the number of small businesses in town," he said. "It's been a real revelation. I go around and talk to people, find out about what they do and get them to join the chamber of commerce."

He said an eye-opener during his short time on the job is the misconceptions that business owners have about the chamber's role in town.

"It's surprising," he said. "People tend to think the chamber and the government are one and the same. I tell them we're there to represent the business interests in South Windsor."

Burnham said Crombie's efforts definitely are working. Crombie has picked up six new members to add to the chamber's current list of 375.

"He's making lots of calls," Burnham said. "It's getting the message of this chamber out personally, which should have residual effects in the future."